Creative leadership isn't control—it's vulnerability, collaboration, and choosing the right moments to stand firm.

In this vibrant and deeply reflective conversation, host Catherine Baumgardner sits down with costume designer Colin Wilkes, whose work brings emotional texture and visual storytelling to the Netflix adaptation of People We Meet on Vacation. Wilkes traces a creative journey rooted in rural freedom, theater, opera, and early storytelling—spaces where imagination and observation shaped a lifelong study of people, culture, and place.

The discussion dives into how costume design becomes a form of sociology: studying geography, music, art, class, and cultural behavior to make each vacation, city, and moment feel emotionally distinct. Wilkes explains how color palettes, fabric, silhouettes, and background wardrobes subtly signal time, place, and character psychology—often working below the audience's conscious awareness. From Barcelona to New Orleans, airports to weddings, every costume choice anchors the viewer in a believable world.

Wilkes also reveals the challenges behind the romance: tight schedules, weather disasters, international shipping, and constant pivots—while still protecting the emotional arc of the characters. The episode explores ego, collaboration, vulnerability, and leadership, emphasizing when to fight for a creative choice and when to let go. Ultimately, the conversation becomes a meditation on purpose-driven storytelling, trust in collaboration, and how clothing can quietly chart growth, intimacy, and connection over time.

The "Voice of Costume" is the first podcast created between working costume designers sharing stories, inspiration, struggles, and insights into the creative career of costume design. A behind-the-scenes podcast to showcase the voices of Costume Designers around the world. Listen in on this inspirational, one-on-one conversation with Catherine Baumgardner.

Audio available wherever you get podcasts.

https://voiceofcostume.com/